Lower School

In Lower School we build an academic foundation by igniting our students’ natural curiosity through a comprehensive approach to learning.

The Lower School at St. George’s Episcopal School encompasses Kindergarten through 4th grade and represents a critical stage of development, bridging the exploratory learning of Early Childhood with the increasingly independent and departmentalized structure of Middle School. The years students spend in Lower School are characterized by a thoughtful balance of academic challenge and intervention, social-emotional support and community belonging, with structures in place to ensure that every child is known, valued and supported.

About Our Lower School Division

Instruction: Homeroom-Led with Small Group and Whole Group Classes
Instruction in Lower School is organized through homerooms, where teachers provide the foundation for a sense of community and care. Kindergarten through 4th grade students have a vertically-aligned curriculum to ensure strong continuity and reinforcement of skills across grades. Our curriculum is heavily guided by research, especially in reading and math.

Growing Curious Minds into Confident Learners
The culture of Lower School prioritizes safe risk-taking, ensuring students feel supported in trying new things. At the same time, teachers recognize the importance of grit and perseverance, encouraging students to work through challenges even when tasks feel difficult. This careful balance of support and challenge ensures that students leave Lower School as confident learners, ready to embrace the academic and social challenges of Middle School.

In Lower School, social-emotional learning is taught in equal measure to a wide variety of academic pursuits. This allows students to develop as informed St. George's citizens who are comfortable and content with themselves and their peers. Learn more about Life Skills classes in Lower School.

Homework & Technology
Homework is assigned with intentionality, reinforcing responsibility, independence, and study habits without overwhelming students or encroaching on family life. Technology instruction introduces digital literacy in age-appropriate ways, with integration in core subjects and dedicated technology specials in 3rd and 4th grade. Collectively, these structures ensure that the Lower School experience nurtures both intellectual and personal growth in ways that align with the St. George's mission. Kindergarten through 4th grade students utilize a curriculum that builds upon the previous grade, ensuring strong continuity and reinforcement of skills across grades. Our curriculum is heavily guided by research, especially in our approach to reading and math. Read more about our curriculum and unique programs below in our "Grade Levels at a Glance" module.

Beyond Academics: TAG, Athletics & More

Enrichment opportunities extend beyond the classroom. TAG (Talented and Gifted) classes offer enrichment through interest-based exploration to students who excel in a particular area, while SPARK classes, offered at the end of the school year, provide a low-stakes environment for all 1st through 4th grade students to explore their hobbies and curiosities. Academic Games, which begins in 4th grade, fosters logic, strategy and teamwork, while assemblies, field trips and chapel programs extend learning beyond traditional academics. Athletics provide another pathway for growth, offering students chances to build skills, practice teamwork and experience the joy of physical activity. Introductory clinics are available to help students build foundational skills, and 4th graders have opportunities to participate in select Middle School sports, including swimming, cross country, flag football and track and field. Cheerleading is also available to both 3rd and 4th graders. Our buddy program and house system activities further develop leadership, teamwork, and a sense of joy.

Teacher-Parent Communication in Lower School
Lower School teachers prioritize strong partnerships with families, maintaining open and consistent communication through conferences, bi-weekly newsletters and Success Team meetings. Parents are actively engaged in their child’s learning journey, providing insights, support and collaboration that enhance classroom instruction. This ongoing dialogue ensures that families feel connected and informed, while teachers can tailor support to meet each student’s unique needs. Together, the school and families create a cohesive, nurturing community where students can thrive academically, socially and emotionally.

Meet the Director of Lower School, Kate Remillard

In her 10 years at St. George’s, Kate Remillard has served as a 1st and 4th grade teacher, Director of Dragon Camp, Talented and Gifted Coordinator, Lower School Curriculum Coordinator and, now, Director of Lower School. Through this work, she has developed a sincere devotion to the school’s mission.

She is a graduate of the University of Chicago and Tulane University, and she received the St. George's Betsey King Award for Faculty Excellence in 2019.

Learn More: StG & The Science of Reading

At St. George's, we utilize a vast body of research to guide our reading program. St. George's language arts curriculum is aligned with the "Science of Reading," a vast, interdisciplinary body of research about reading and writing development. The evidence is conclusive that a "structured literacy approach"—one that allows for explicit, systematic instruction of skills—is the optimal way for all children to learn to read and write.

On the Daily Lower School Schedule

The Lower School day runs from 8 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., with early dismissal on Wednesdays to accommodate faculty professional development and planning. The daily schedule is carefully designed to reflect a balance between structured academic instruction, unstructured play and high-interest specials classes that enrich and support the well-rounded development of each child. Students experience core academic blocks for reading and math, which are taught in mixed-ability whole groups in Kindergarten and in leveled groups in 1st through 4th grades by homeroom teachers and small group instructors. Content Connections is an afternoon literacy block that focuses on building background knowledge and oral language skills through literature, social studies and science topics. Students take a variety of "specials" classes, including science, art, music, Life Skills, library, technology and physical education. Weekly chapel services, morning meetings, and house system activities provide time for reflection, values-based discussions, and community building. Each day includes at least two recess breaks (three in Kindergarten), which supports physical well-being, peer interaction and self-regulation

Facilitative Play & Morning Meeting

Responsive Classroom serves as the foundation for classroom culture, providing structures such as Morning Meetings where students build relationships, practice communication and develop self-advocacy skills.

Leveled Small Groups

A defining strength of the Lower School is the academic attention students receive from their teachers. Small class sizes and leveled groups allow teachers to provide instruction that meets students at their current level while also pushing them forward.

Specials

High-interest specials classes, including science, visual art, music, theatre arts, Life Skills, library, technology (3rd & 4th), French, Spanish (3rd & 4th) and PE, enrich and support the well-rounded development of each Lower School child.

Multiple Daily Recesses

Each day for Lower School students includes at least two recess breaks (three in Kindergarten), which supports physical well-being, peer interaction and self-regulation. Physical Education is an additional specials class, offering even more opportunity for physical movement.

Vitamin Time

During Vitamin Time, students engage in personalized learning activities, the so-called "daily vitamins" of academic learning. For students who need additional support or greater challenge, Resource and speech or TAG classes will happen during this time.

Lower School Highlight: Confidence Through Public Speaking

Public speaking is an integral part of the Lower School experience, introduced in Kindergarten and nurtured throughout each year. Students engage in a variety of performances, from theatre arts classes to musical presentations for Grandparents and Special Friends Day, as well as the annual Lessons and Carols Service at St. George's Episcopal Church. Each spring, they work closely with teachers to prepare an assembly performance, highlighting both their knowledge and growing confidence on stage. This journey reaches its pinnacle with the highly anticipated Fourth Grade Play. Through these experiences, students gradually take on more responsibility, develop their performance skills and build self-confidence. By the time they leave Lower School, they are poised, capable and comfortable speaking and performing in front of an audience.

Learn More: Grade Levels at a Glance

Curriculum design in the Lower School reflects a strong commitment to research-based practices.

Content Connections: Following the Language Arts curriculum from the Core Knowledge Foundation (CKLA), students are exposed to various literature, social studies and science topics that systematically build background knowledge and vocabulary. Writing is also embedded into each domain as students apply their knowledge through the writing process.
Math: Across the Lower School, teachers follow the Bridges in Mathematics program for math instruction, which provides a hands-on, problem-solving approach to mathematics.
Reading: For literacy, instructional materials are aligned to the Science of Reading, and our approach to curriculum is modeled after Scarborough's Reading Rope. During reading group, teachers use a variety of instructional programs to build students' word recognition skills, while the focus on Content Connections is to build students' language comprehension skills.
Writing: Writing instruction following The Hochman Method (The Writing Revolution) is integrated into both reading group and Content Connections.

These core programs are intentionally complemented by the inquiry-based Project Approach, which nurtures both skill development and intellectual curiosity. Students are empowered to become confident, engaged learners who view themselves as capable of exploring, questioning and making meaningful contributions to their learning community.

Kindergarten

Kindergarten, as the first year of Lower School, focuses on building strong routines that become the foundation for academic success.

Coursework is personalized, but all students will follow the Kindergarten academic schedule listed below:

Reading

Phonological awareness is the ability to hear the sounds in words. It is an early predictor of reading success because of the way that strong readers break apart words into sounds (phonemes) and syllables. Kindergarten students participate in a set of daily oral drills to develop their phonological awareness.
In Kindergarten, most students are focusing on skills needed to become a strong reader, including: accuracy and decoding (especially longer, multisyllabic words); oral reading fluency; vocabulary in context; comprehension of literary elements; and thematic patterns.
In Kindergarten, phonics goes hand-in-hand with reading decodable passages, in which students apply learned phonics concepts to reading rather than guessing at words or using pictures or context clues.

Math

Identify numbers 0-20
Count numbers in sequence up to 100 by ones and tens
Compare numbers and sets of objects using “greater than”, “less than, and “equal to”
Describe and compare measurement attributes such as length and weight
Recognize money (pennies, nickels, dimes)
Identify and describe two and three-dimensional shapes
Demonstrate understanding of addition and subtraction
Add and subtract quickly and easily to five
Identify calendar concepts: day, week, month
Identify, extend, and create patterns

Content Connections

Nursery Rhymes and Fables
Stories
Native Americans
Kings and Queens
Colonial Towns and Townspeople
Presidents and American Symbols

Writing

In Kindergarten, groundwork is laid for explicit writing instruction. This is done by participating in whole group oral discussions, where students dive deep into their Content Connections domains. Teachers work with children to ask the questions who, what, when, where, why and how and model how sentences can expand when we add details. The goal is to put these thoughts down on pen and paper as students progress throughout the school year.

Science

St. George's science curriculum for Kindergarten is designed to foster deep curiosity, problem-solving skills and the desire to ask questions about the natural world.

Motion and Stability: Forces and interactions
Simple Machines
Energy
Molecules to Organisms: Structures and processes
Earth’s Systems
Louisiana’s Ecosystem

1st Grade

First Grade is a time when students focus on building independence, learning to regulate emotions, persevering through challenges and building stamina in the classroom. Students follow the academic schedule listed below:

Reading

In 1st grade, students focus on learning and applying grade-level phonics and word analysis skills when decoding words.

Students learn to:

Automatically identify the corresponding sound for sound-symbol relationships
Distinguish the difference between short and long vowel sounds
Decode (read) and encode (spell) phonetically regular one-syllable and two-syllable words in isolation and within connected texts
Recognize and read grade-appropriate irregular “heart words”
Build oral reading fluency and accuracy of grade-level passages

Math

The following concepts are taught in 1st Grade:

Measuring
Part, part, whole to 10
Adding and subtracting using a number rack
Counting, comparing and adding with dominoes
Fact families
Counting by 5s and 10s
Tens and teens
Adding and subtracting using a number line
2D and 3D shapes
Putting shapes together and taking them apart
Sorting and graphing
Story problems for basic addition and subtraction
Solving story problems and equations for the unknown
Grouping ones and bundles of 10 beyond 100
Adding and subtracting 2 digit numbers
Place value
Telling time

Content Connections

This year, 1st grade students will engage in learning the following topics:

Fables and Stories
The Human Body
Different Lands, Similar Stories
Early World Civilizations
Early American Civilizations
The History of the Earth
A New Nation - American Independence
Frontier Explorers (if time permits)

Writing

In 1st Grade, students are growing in their ability to build their phonics skills and apply those skills to spelling (encoding). As a result, 1st grade students will begin the year by practicing Writing Revolution strategies orally and then transition to written activities at the sentence level, focusing on using correct capitalization and punctuation.

Science

St. George's science curriculum for 1st Grade is designed to foster deep curiosity, problem-solving skills and a desire to ask questions about the natural world.

5 senses and how we use them in science
Plant and animal structures and animal classification
The human body
Sound
Light
Patterns in the sky

2nd Grade

Throughout the 2nd Grade year, teachers focus on helping students become more independent learners, follow multi-step directions, be respectful listeners and speakers and persevere when challenged.

Reading

In 2nd Grade, students focus on knowing and applying grade-level phonics and word analysis skills when decoding words. The following concepts are taught:

Distinguish short and long vowels when reading regularly spelled one-syllable words
Determine spelling-sound correspondences for vowel teams
Decode regularly spelled two-syllable words
Read and write words with common prefixes and suffixes
Identify words with inconsistent but common spelling-sound correspondences
Recognize and read grade-appropriate irregularly spelled words

Math

The following concepts are taught in 2nd Grade:

Counting and Modeling with Two- and Three-Digit Numbers
Measuring with Non-Standard Units
Unit 3 - Addition and Subtraction Within One Hundred
Using “Skip Jumps” of Five and Ten on a Number Line
Adding and Subtracting Two-Digit Numbers on a Number Line
Measuring with Inches, Feet, and Yards
Introducing Proportion and Fractions
Adding and Subtracting with Multiples of Ten and One Hundred
Counting with Money Using Five, Ten and Twenty-Five
Determining Attributes of Two-Dimensional Shapes
Exploring Area and Arrays
Unit 8 - Measurement, Data, and Multi-Digit Computation
Introducing Division with Fractions
Adding and Subtracting Three-Digit Numbers
Revisiting Place Value and Three-Digit Computation
Measuring Distance
Collecting and Analyzing Data
Introducing Addition and Subtraction Strategies
Practicing Fact Fluency

Content Connections

This year, 2nd Grade students will engage in learning the following topics:

Fairy Tales and Tall Tales
Ancient Greek Civilization
Greek Myths
Fighting for a Cause
The War of 1812
Westward Expansion
The U.S. Civil War
Immigration

Writing

Writing will primarily be taught in small reading groups so that each group is able to move at their appropriate pace and meet their individual needs. Second graders have learned about fragments versus complete sentences as well as the key components of a sentence, specifically the “who” and the “what” that make up a complete sentence.

Science

Polar, Desert and Rainforest Ecosystems
Plant and Animal Adaptations and Interactions
Labs
Matter - states of matter, changes in states of matter
What types of materials are best suited to different purposes?
Earth’s Surface, Landforms

3rd Grade

Throughout the 3rd Grade year, students focus on having a growth mindset as they learn challenging skills and concepts. Students practice emotional regulation techniques and confidence-building practices.

Reading

In 3rd Grade, students are focusing on decoding and are continuing to apply phonological awareness and sight recognition when reading. During 3rd Grade reading groups, learning is connected with engaging passages that allow students to build their spelling and vocabulary skills.

Math

Third Grade Math begins with addition and subtraction patterns. These concepts lay the groundwork for a deeper understanding of number relationships and set the scene for the next skills: multiplication and multi-digit addition and subtraction. As the year progresses, students delve into concepts such as measurement and fractions. Multiplication and division will be further developed, along with the introduction of area and geometry skills. Towards the end of the year, students will extend their exploration in math using these concepts to study bridge design, utilizing their data collection, analysis and critical thinking skills.

Content Connections

This year, 3rd Grade students will engage in learning the following topics:

The Classic Tales - The Wind and the Willows
The Ancient Roman Civilization
Native Americans - Regions and Cultures
Colonial America
The Human Body - System and Senses

Writing

In 3rd grade, students will focus on sentence expansion during the first part of the year. Students will then transition into incorporating these more complex sentences into a paragraph, using a method that offers a structured outline for paragraph writing, which allows children to organize their thoughts. By the end of the year, our students will focus on creating strong paragraphs that combine their complex sentences in a fluid manner.

Science

Review of Ecosystems and the Benefits of Group Living
Plant Life Cycles
Relationship between energy and motion, friction, balanced and unbalanced forces
Magnetic Forces
Weather, static electricity, electrical forces & data collection
Animal Life Cycles

4th Grade

Throughout the 4th Grade year, we focus on building executive function skills that will set the stage for middle school independence next year. The objective is for students, parents and teachers to work together to build students’ organizational skills and develop responsible behaviors for keeping their work in order and turning in assignments on time.

Reading

In 4th Grade, students are focusing on decoding multisyllabic words, gaining a deeper understanding of morphology and continuing to build fluency. Subjects include reading and spelling longer, multisyllabic words and understanding morphology, the linguistic study of meaningful word parts. During 4th Grade reading group, learning is connected with engaging passages that allow students to build their spelling and vocabulary skills.

Math

The following concepts are taught in 4th Grade:

Multiplication and Division
Fractions and Decimals
Geometry
Measurement

Content Connections

This year, 4th Grade students will engage in learning the following topics:

American Revolution
US Constitution
Brown Girl Dreaming (memoir)
Middle Ages

Writing

In 4th Grade, students will focus on sentence expansion at the beginning of the year. The next phase is incorporating more complex sentences into a single paragraph. Writing Revolution follows a structured outline for paragraph writing, which allows children to organize their thoughts. By the spring of 4th Grade, we transition into multi-paragraph writing activities.

Science

Plant and Animal Structures and Defenses
Force, Energy and Motion
Energy Transfer
Waves and Information
Earth’s Surface
Extreme Weather- How is data collected? How do people protect themselves? Includes a design challenge to design a model levee system or earthquake-resistant structure and research project

More About Our Leveled Groupings: Advanced, Standard and Adjusted/Modified

Within core subjects, such as math and reading, students are grouped by instructional level rather than by homeroom alone. There are three levels: Advanced, Standard and Adjusted/Modified. These leveled groups are flexible and fluid, allowing students to move as needed based on ongoing assessment data and faculty discussion.

Resource Services specialists play an integral role in the Adjusted/Modified groups, sometimes leading their own groups and at other times co-teaching with classroom teachers. This approach ensures that students experience small-group instruction and receive personalized attention tailored to their unique strengths and challenges.

Advanced groups may move at a faster pace and/or include more enrichment than standard groupings. In math, 4th grade advanced group students are learning from a 5th grade textbook.

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